Container capping devices



Jan. 31, 1956 w, GLENSKY CONTAINER CAPPING DEVICES Filed May 28, 1953 ezmm United .Patfit West Company, Inc., Phoenixville, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania I Application May 28, 1953, Serial No. 358,133

2 Claims. (Cl.226-84) This invention relates to devices for applying to containers sealing closure assemblies of the type comprising a rubber disk and a m etal cap within which the disk snugly fitsand which fits over the top of the container. and is crimped' inwardly to secure the closure assembly to the container. Closure assemblies of this type are commonly employed on pharamaceutical bottles.

In such a closure assembly, it is desirable that the rubber disk fit snugly within the metal cap in order that the disk will be frictionally retained within the cap prior to the fixation of the closure assembly on a bottle. However, this has resulted in an' undesirable downward cupping of the central portion of the rubber disk during the capping operation when pressure is applied to the top of the closure assembly while the inward crimping of the cap is performed. The cupping of the central portion of the rubber disk is due to the fact that the rubber cannot be compressed and it flows downward into the mouth of the bottle with consequent downward flexing or buckling of the central portion of the disk. The cup or recess formed in the disk tends to collect dirt and dust and makes it difiicult to prevent contamination. It should be noted that with this type of closure assembly, the contents of the bottle are removed by insertion of a hypodermic needle into the central portion of the rubber disk which is exposed at the time, and it is this portion of the disk in which the above-mentioned cup or recess is formed.

The principal object of the present invention is to obviate this objectionable condition.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a pressure-applying member which is constructed so as to eliminate the undesirable cupping of the rubber disk.

The invention may be fully understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the upper part of a capped container in the capping of which the novel pressure-applying member of the present invention was used;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a capped container provided by the use of the usual pressure-applying member heretofore used;

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a portion of a typical capping machine employed in the capping of such containers, to which the machine of the present invention may be applied; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating a capping operation utilizing the pressure-applying member of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a bottle to which a closure assembly has been applied according to the present invention, as hereinafter described. The closure assembly comprises the relatively thick rubber disk 11 and the metal cap 12 within which the disk 11 snugly fits, the lower portion of the cap 12 being crimped inwardly as shown at 13 beneath the head of the bottle. In order to efiect a tight seal, downward pressure is applied to the top of the closure assembly fir.

while the crimping operation is being'performed. In a closure assembly of the character illustrated, employing 3.

single metal cap, the cap 12 is .provideduwitha tear-off tab or disk 14 to enable access to the contents of the, bot.- tle by insertion of a hypodermic needle through the central portion 15 of the rubber disk 11. Where a cover capis to be employed, the cap 12 may have a central opening without the tear-off disk.

Fig. 2 shows a bottle 10a which has been capped by?! closure assembly comprising rubber disk 11a. and metal cap 12a, In this instance, the capping was done by utilizing the usual pressure-applying member employed in the past. As clearly shown, the central portion 151: of-th'e rubber disk 11a has cupped downwardly, resulting in the objectionable condition hereinb efore mentioned.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of a capping machine to which the present invention maybe applied, such machine being of the character disclosed in ,U. S. PatentNo. 2,507,427, issued May 9, 1959; to J. E. Underwood. .,The portion-of the machine shown is in the course of applying a closure assembly to a bottle to produce the capping shown .in Fig. l. The bottle 10 has been carried to the capping po sition in a supporting sleeve 16 on the feed plate 17, the bottle having had a closure assembly placed on it preparatory to the capping operation. At the capping position, the bottle is supported by block 18. In the course of the capping operation, the pressure-applying member 19, which is the subject of the present invention, first engages the top of the cap assembly and exerts pressure thereon. Then, while the pressure is maintained on the cap assembly, the spinning disks 20 engage the lower part of the cap to crimp it inwardly beneath the head of the bottle. Each of the spinning disks 20 is supported by a movable bracket 21 having a roller 22 through which the bracket is moved by an associated cam. The present invention is not concerned with the details of the machine which is fully illustrated and described in the above-mentioned patent.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the construction of the pressureapplying member 19 according to the present invention, and also show the manner in which the capping operation is performed. Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the pressure-applying member 19 has an annular projection 23 of smaller diameter than the closure assembly but of larger diameter than the mouth of the container or bottle 10. Preferably, the projection 23 is located so as to exert pres sure on the closure assembly in proximity to the mouth of the container. The pressure-applying member 19 preferably has a concavity 24 to receive the closure assembly and the top of the bottle as shown in Fig. 4, and the projection 23 is within said concavity. Surrounding the annular projection 23 is an annular recess 25 which is also within said concavity. Within the annular projection 23 is a central recess 26 which accommodates the tear-off tab 14.

As the pressure-applying member 19 is lowered, the annular projection 23 engages the top of the closure assembly as shown in Fig. 4, and at the same time the outer wall of the concavity 24 engages the upper peripheral portion of the metal cap 12. At this time, the spinning disks 20 are out of engagement with the cap as shown in Fig. 4.

Continued downward movement of the pressure-applying member 19 causes the annular projection 23 to exert pressure on an annular area of the closure assembly, efiectively pinching the rubber disk 11 well in from its periphery. At the same time, the outer part of the closure assembly seats in the annular recess 25 and the closure assembly takes the form shown in Fig. 5. No cupping of the rubber disk takes place because it has been gripped well in from its periphery and there is no tendency to cause it to buckle. With pressure exerted on the closure assembly as shown in Fig. 5, the spinning disks 20 perform the crimping-of"thelower edge of the metal cap 12. The 7 complete operation produces the capping shownin Fig. 1. The above description assumes that there is downward movement of the pressure-applying member 19. However, thesam'e result may be'obtained by moving the bottle upward to cause exertion of pressure on'the closure assembly. From theforegoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel pressure-applying member which is constructed so as to apply pressure to the closure assembly in such manner that cupping of the rubber disk does not take place, producing the desirable capping shown in Fig. l which is far superior to that shown in Fig. 2. While a specific structure has been illustrated and described for the purpose of disclosure, it will be understood that the invention contemplates such modifications as may be utilized within the scope of the invention.

. I claim:

1. Apparatus 'for applying to a bottle having a head having an outer wall, an inner mouth and a substantially flat annular region of substantial width therebetween, a closure assembly of the type comprising a flat-topped metal cap and a rubber disk snugly fitting within the cap against the flat top thereof, said apparatus comprising a pressureapplying member having an-annular rigid projection narrower than said annular region dimensioned and shaped to exert localized pressure on said disk through said cap over a narrow annular area above the said region of the bottle to pinch said disk over said narrow area, and means for crimping the loweredge of the metal cap inwardly below the bottle head while said disk is locally pinched over said narrow area.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure-applying member has a concavity to receive the closure assembly and the top portion of the associated bottle, said projection being within said concavity, and said member has an annular recess surrounding said projection to receive the outer part of the closure assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 935,296 Butkus et al. Sept. 28, 1909 FOREIGN PATENTS 925,913 France Apr. 17, 1947 

